1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for adjusting the speed of containers which are moving through container handling or processing equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been known to inspect bottles and cans prior to introduction of food products, beverages or other products into the container in order to remove defective containers so as to avoid waste of the product to be packaged therein. See, generally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,778,999; 4,791,287; 4,801,319; 4,899,573; and 4,987,768;. Typical of the containers subjected to such inspection have been glass bottles, plastic bottles, and metal cans.
It has also been known to inspect containers on a high speed continuous basis, as distinguished from sampling, for proper thickness, shape, and the presence of foreign matter. See, generally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,778,999; 4,791,287 and 5,097,216.
It has also been known when delivering containers from an inspection station or other source to conveyor means or another destination that it may be desired to adjust the speed of the containers as they move sequentially toward the destination. It has been known to use slowdown apparatus for such purposes. Typically, such systems provide a pair of units each disposed on opposite sides of the path through which the containers will pass. Each have a pair of vertically spaced endless belts each of which is supported by a pair of pulleys, one of which is driven so as to establish the desired orbital belt speed.
One of the difficulties with existing slowdown systems is that they are substantially rigid with most of the parts being made of metal and the bottle contacting portions of the endless belts being made of rubber which is of high hardness. This can create problems with respect to jamming the system by containers which are substantially out of shape or oversized. Such problems can also result in fracturing or other damage to the containers. Also, such systems experience enhanced wear of the belt supporting metal pulleys. While it has been known to employ spring loaded belt supporting pulleys, these have high manufacturing costs and require a high level of maintenance.
It has also been known to employ in slowdown apparatus, urethane belts having circumferential projections and also belts having a plurality of radial projections with the gap between adjacent projections being less than the circumferential width of the projections with openings being provided in the projections and in adjacent belt portions.
There remains, therefore, a real and substantial need for container speed adjusting apparatus which will efficiently and safely effect the desired speed adjustment in a durable manner which will resist damaging the containers.